Head to head · 2012 Hyundai Sonata vs 2013 Nissan Altima

2012 Sonata vs 2013 Altima

These records post indexes of 8.5 and 9.3. They share 5 usable evidence dimensions, but their relative index gap does not clear the 15 percent verdict rule. MotorCensus publishes no winner for this pair.

2012
P85 of cohort
Hyundai Sonata · midsize-sedan-2010-2014
8.5
Complaint records1,552
Median mileage at the reported problem80,000 mi
Largest component groupEngine
Distinct narratives1,547
vs
2013
P93 of cohort
Nissan Altima · midsize-sedan-2011-2015
9.3
Complaint records2,304
Median mileage at the reported problem64,500 mi
Largest component groupAirbags
Distinct narratives2,299
0.8
Index points between the two records
752
Difference in complaint reports on file
5
Shared evidence dimensions
No call
Margin under the 15 percent verdict rule

The verdict · shared-evidence rule · Methodology

Too close to call

No published verdict for this pair: signal difference under 15 percent. These records clear the shared-dimension gate, but their relative signal-index gap stays below the verdict threshold.

Read the verdict rule

A comparison requires at least two shared usable evidence dimensions. For eligible pairs, the verdict applies a 15 percent threshold to the relative gap between the two complaint-signal indexes. It is not a mechanical failure rate or a complete reliability measure. Metrics below a sample gate show no value rather than an estimate.

Component groups · share of each record

Where each file concentrates

Failure files
2012 Hyundai Sonata · 1,552 complaint reports2013 Nissan Altima · 2,304 complaint reports
Engine
25%
6%
Airbags
8%
17%
Powertrain
0%
17%
Lighting
6%
15%
Steering
13%
0%
Electrical
10%
0%

Bars use a 0 to 50 percent share scale. Shares are of each record's own classified reports, so the smaller file's percentages sit on fewer reports. A zero bar means the group does not appear in that record's published distribution.

From the records · loudest cluster on each file

What owners report most

How clusters are built
Steering effort · 232 reports

Reports describe steering effort or control concerns

2012 Hyundai SonataTop cluster of 6
Airbag concerns · 426 reports

Reports describe airbag warning or deployment concerns

2013 Nissan AltimaTop cluster of 6

Cluster summaries paraphrase recurring symptoms reported to NHTSA. They are aggregate descriptions, not individual verbatim reports.

Records through 2026-07-19Updated 2026-07-19

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